Dr Lynn Setterington
Senior Lecturer, MA Design
Course Leader, MA/MSc Design for Health & Wellbeing
Lynn Setterington is an international textile artist. Her research explores societal issues and social injustices and she works in partnership with communities, museums and charities internationally. Setterington's hand stitched cloths possesses strong autobiographical content with recent work focused on tactile social history. Using sensory methods and fieldwork she employs empathy and shared understanding to investigate and extend collaborative ways to work together and create.
Setterington’s work features in many public collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Crafts Council, The Terrance Higgins Trust, The Quilters Guild of the UK, the International Quilt Study Center, Nebraska and Denver Museum of Art. She studied textiles at Goldsmiths College, London in the 1980’s.
Her PhD at the University of the Creative Arts, Farnham (2013-18) explores the hidden values and points of tension in collaborative working/stitching. She is a Trustee of Venture Arts, a Manchester-based arts charity working with adults with learning disabilities, an Associate Fellow of the International Quilt Museum, a member of ICOM, International Council of World Museums, Rogue Artists’ Studios, Manchester, the 62 Group of Textile Artists and the Textile Society of the UK.
www.lynnsetterington.co.uk
Projects
Bangladeshi Women's Memoir Project
An Arts Council funded project with the Ahmed Ullah Iqbal Educational Trust and a group of Bangladeshi women.. Details…
Haptic design
An ongoing partnership with the RNIB to explore sensory design and tactile textiles. The outcomes have been showcased at the 150 annivesry event of the organiation in 2019, an event at Lancaster University in Jan 2020 and with St Vincent's school in Liverpool. Details…
Hulme Sweet Hulme
This Public Engagement Fellowship involved work with groups in Hulme, South Manchester and centres around maps, old and new as well as places once called home. Emphasis is on the act of working together and less on finished outcomes. Details…
Memory Cloths
This body of work investigates how cloth and stitch can be used to explore loss and mourning. The artefacts represent contemporary iterations of the mourning cloth using unconventional materials including safety pins. Details…
Please Sign Here
A collaborative project documenting the people of Rochdale through their sewn signatures in 2013.. Details…
Radical Locks
A commission for Tameside Council to mark the represenatation of the people's act. Working with a wide range of women's groups across the borough in 2018-9 the outcome is a collaborative banner. Details…
Remembering Emily
A collaborative project to mark the centenary of the death of suffragette Emily Davison. Lynn worked with 100 staff students and academics at MMU to create a sewn cloth 10 metres long as part of www. Details…
Safety Net
Safety Net is an Arts Council funded project to raise awareness of and debate attitudes to mental health. The large scale installation reads THERE IS NO HEALTH WITHOUT MENTAL HEALTH and it has been devised by artist Lynn Setterington and created jointly with 42nd St and students from Textile in Practice at Manchester School of Art and two construction companies, Tunny Scaffolding and the Northhold Group. Details…
Sew Near-Sew Far
A collaboration as part of Meeting Point2 working with the Bronte Parsonage Museum in 2017.. Details…
Signature Cloths
An exhibition showcasing a series of Lynn's contemporary collaborative signature cloths will several in the IQSC collection. This is part of long term project exploring identity and belonging. Details…
Stitching Up Oxford Rd
Working with communities along Oxford Rd Manchester (from the Aquatics Centre to the Deaf Institute and Manchester Museum and MRI) running workshops with a recycling theme. Then making a large textile with the groups for display at sites on Oxford Rd HEFC funded initiative. Details…
The Global Quilt
A quilt made with communities in Lancashire from donated cotton fabrics, repurposed into circles of colour spelling out 'global connection's. The piece was made for the British Textile Biennial in East Lancs in 2021. Details…
Unfolding Origins
This project mines the North Yorkshire County records office to undercover information relating to the story of the first toll bridge across the river Ouse in Selby which dates back to the late 1790’s. It has taken me to Ingatestone Hall in Essex, Barlby Bridge and Barwic Parade primary schools and a number of charity shops and walks up and down the river in Selby to explore this fertile ground. Details…
World Aids Day
A collaborative project to create a quilt for world aids day raising awareness of the subject and bringing people together.. Details…
Research
Lynn Setterington is a member of the Design Research Hub.
Exhibitions
Setterington, L., 2020. Unfolding Origins, Selby Library, 12/3/2020 - 30/3/2021.
Cocchiarella, F., Shaw, A., McCullagh, J., Stephens, M., Grimshaw, D., Mulhearn, E., Kettle, A., McCullough, I., McCullagh, J., Hitchen, J., Egan, K., Aubrey, K., Raven, L., Gannon, L., Biggs, L., Setterington, L., Beecroft, M., McLeish, M., Threlfall, S., 2019. Radical Response exhibition in partnership with the International Association of Design Research (IASDR) Conference, Manchester School of Art, Manchester, 2/9/2019 - 5/9/2019.
Setterington, L., Das, D., 2017. Kotha and Kantha, Manchester Central Library, 7/2017.
Setterington, L., 2017. Sew Near- Sew Far, Bronte Parsonage Museum, 6/2017.
Setterington, L., 2016. Making Spaces, Macclesfield Silk Museum, June - Sept 2016.
Setterington, L., 2016. The Wit of the Stitch, Ruthin Craft Centre, July - Sept 2016.
Setterington, L. Miller, M. Hurlstone, N., 2014. Construct, Ruthin Crafts Centre, April 2014- July 2014.
Miller, M., Hill, J., 2014. Construct, Ruthin Craft Centre, North Wales, 4/2014.
Setterington, L. Slater, A., 2014. Please Sign Here, Touchstones Gallery, Rochdale, Dec 2013- March 2014.
Babayan, K., 2014. Rural Crafts Re-Imagined, Cumbria (touring several venues), 5/2014.
Setterington, L., 2014. Signature Cloths, International Quilt Study Center, University of Lincoln, Nebraska USA, 9/2014.
ed Dr Susan Marks, 2013. Its all in the making, Quilters Guild York, Sept- Nov 30th.
Setterington, L. and Slater, A., 2013. Please Sign Here, Touchstones, Rochdale, December 2013-March 2014.
Hill, J, 2013. Rendevous Goldsmiths, Ruthin Crafts Centre, Sept- Nov 2013.
Setterington, L. Evans, S, 2013. The Wilding Festival, St George's church Bloomsbury, June 2013.
62 Group, 2012. 62@50, Holden Gallery MMU, summer 2012.
McKeating, J., 2012. Hand Stich Perspectives, Knitting and stitching show Alexander palace London, Harrogate and Dublin, October -November 2012.
McKeating, J., 2012. Machine stitch Perspectives 2, L'aguille en Fete, Paris, February 2012.
Setterington, L. Porter,R, 2012. Threading Dreams, Gallery Oldham, April 2011.
Setterington, L., 2011. At a Tangent, Gallery Oldham, Jan 22nd April 20th.
Setterington, L., 2011. Threading Dreams, Gallery Oldham, Feb 20th March 19th 2011.
Setterington, L., 2011. Wordplay, Stroud International Festival, April 30th May 22nd.
Setterington, L., 2010. Bending more Lines, Rywkys Musuem, The Netherlands, and Collins Gallery Glasgow, April- July.
McKeating, J., 2010. Machine Stitch Perspectives, Knitting and Stitching show, London, Harrogate and Dublin, Sept 2010 - Nov 2010.
Setterington, L., 2010. Perspectives, IQSC University of Nebraska, Nov 2009-May 2010.
Setterington, L., 2010. The Dartboard for Witches, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, July August 2010.
Setterington, L., 2009. Bending the Line, The Hub, Lincs, July -Sept 2009.
Dixon, S., Welsh, A., 2008. Mechanical Drawing: the schiffli project, The Hub, Sleaford., 8 March to 27 April.
Setterington, L., 2007. Alma Park School, Alma park primary school, Manchester and Festival of Quilts NEC Birmingham, July-Aug 07.
Setterington, L., 2007. Art of the Stitch, Bristol Academy and tour, Nov 2005-June 2006.
O'Neill, CJ, 2007. Design Camp, House of MG, Ahmedebad, India, Sept 2007.
Setterington, L., 2007. Make me C, Manchester Art Gallery, Nov-Dec 2005.
Setterington, L., 2007. Reconsruct deconstruct, Bilston Craft Centre, Nov-Dec 2005.
Setterington, L., 2007. The Great Indoors, Manchester Central, July 6-8th 2007.
Setterington, L., 2005. Deconstruct-Reconstruct, Bilston Crafts Centre, November19th 2005-January 6th 2006.
Setterington, L., 2005. Make Me C, Manchester Art Gallery, November 10th 2005- Feb 5th 2006.
Setterington, L., 2005. Osteopathic Centre for Children, Phoenix Mill Manchester, 18-19th July.
Setterington, L., 2004. All Creatures Great and Small, Platt Fields Park Manchester, 4th-6th June 2004 & 3-6th June 2005.
Setterington, L., 2004. Celebrating Ten, Minerva Arts Centre Wales, July-Sept 2004.
Setterington, L., 2004. Rogue Open Studios, Rogue Studios Manchester, Nov 2004.
Setterington, L., 2003. Festival of Quilts, Birmingham NEC, 21st-24th Aug 2003.
Setterington, L., 2002. Masterpeices, Palazzo Bricherasio, Turin, Italy, 5/12/2002 - 26/01/2003.
Setterington, L., 2001. Acknowledged Sources, Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, Sept 15th 2001-Jan 20th 2002.
Setterington, L., 2001. Telling, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wales, 28th July-22nd Sept 2001.
Artefacts
Setterington, L., 2017. 'Sew Near - Sew Far'.
Setterington, L., 2006. 'Banner for contemporary collection of Gallery Oldham', a banner reflecting Oldham past and present made with members of the local community, Gallery Oldham, April-July 2007.
Performances
Setterington, L., 2021. 'Safety Net', 9/10/2021.
Book Chapters
Alice Kettle and Jane McKeating, 2010. 'Stitched words'. In Alice Kettle Jane McKeating (eds.) Machine Embroidery:Perspectives, A&C Black.
Setterington, L., 2005. 'Hand Quilted'. In Celia Eddy (eds.) The Quilted Planet, Mitchell Beasley.
Internet Publications
Setterington, L., 2022. 'The Grenfell Memorial Quilt'.
Journal Articles
Hackney, F., Setterington, L., 2022. 'Crafting with a purpose: how the 'work' of the workshop makes, promotes and embodies well-being', Journal of Applied Arts and Health, 13 (3), pp. 307-324.
Setterington, L., 2020. ''Threads of Identity': Uncovering the benefits and tensions found in the hand-sewn signature as a method of engagement to challenge stereotypes about embroidering with boys', Journal of Arts & Communities, 11 (1), pp. 93-108.
Setterington, L., 2020. 'Text, the journal of the textile society', Textile History.
Slater, A.J., Setterington, L., 2017. 'Stories of Collaborative Making: Two Rochdale Quilts', Quilt Studies, 18, 29.
Setterington, L., 2016. 'Lancashire: Mid Pennine Arts', JOURNAL OF MODERN CRAFT, 9 (2), pp. 259-261.
IJdens, T., 2015. 'Journal of Arts & Communities (special edition): International reflections from Utrecht on participation and engagement', Journal of Arts & Communities, 7 (1), pp. 7-16.
Setterington, L., 2014. 'Please sign here', Embroidery, 65 (SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER), pp. 46-47.
Setterington, L., 2012. 'signed and sealed', Selvedge, May/June 2012.
Verran, J., Setterington, L., 2010. 'A stitch in time saves lives-raising awarness of HIV and AIDS', Microbiology Today, 37 (1), pp. 54-56.
Setterington, L., 2005. 'Economy of scale', Embroidery Magazine, Sept Oct 2005, page22-27.
Setterington, L., 2005. 'Goldsmiths College Textile Study Centre', Text (journal of Textile Socitey, winter 2005.
Setterington, L., 2004. 'Garden of Delights', Embroidery magazine, May June 2004, page 27.
Presentations
Setterington, L., 2012. 'Collaborative engagement', Arts In Society, Liverpool John Moores University, July 2012, in arts in society journal.
Setterington, L., 2012. 'How the creation of a collaborative signature quilt helped community pride in Blackpool.', Association of Social Anthropologists 2012, JNU Delhi, April 2-5th 2102.
Setterington, L., 2012. 'Signature quilts as social networking', Quilts from Bengal to Baltimore, Colonial Williamsburg Virginia USA, Nov 2012.
Setterington, L., 2012. 'signature quilts old and new', BQSG, Towneley Hall Burnley, October 2012, in quilt studies journal.
Setterington, L., 2012. 'The effectiveness of hands on craft practice', Arts in Society, Liverpool John Moores University, 23-25th July 2012, in journal of Arts In Society.